[Travel Melbourne] State Library Victoria, Lunch at Pho Thin and Gelato at Piccolina

steps leading to State Library Victoria

gull

Went to eat grab pho after the visit to State Library.

 

signage

lunch hour

small spaces

The shop was busy as it was lunch hour and we waited for about 15 mins for a table. Scan the QR code to order. I got myself the fatty brisket while Hence got the non-fatty version. 

The brisket slices retained quite a bit of chew and the soup was certainly comforting on a cold day. The noodles were softer than expected and pretty similar to hor fun.

fatty brisket @AUD16.50

softer than expected

fatty, indeed

plenty of greens

There's still water from the dispenser, and cutleries self-service from the counter.

fried donut (cute looking doughstick) 

pickled garlic slices

Pho Tin has another shop opposite the one that we dined in.

Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc MELBOURNE

Address: Shop 3/399 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Website: https://www.foodbooking.com/ordering/restaurant/menu?restaurant_uid=3336ba80-9783-40f2-977a-d49fbb815e7d

Business Hours:

Daily: 10:30 am–8:30 pm

We saw the gelato shop during the daytime but only Ivan had space in his stomach for some. Then, we returned at night for some more!

time for some sweets

guess which flavour I got

stracciatella and pistachio (double)

Staff said I made a good choice when I wanted the pistachio and stracciatella. Didn't know what's a stracciatella and thought it could be some sort of cheese  but it turned out to be vanilla with some choco bits in it. The gelato was really good and I enjoyed it. Double scoop was a good value too!

Piccolina Gelateria

Address: 43 Hardware Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Website: https://www.piccolinagelateria.com.au/shop

Business Hours:

Daily: 12–11 pm

[Melbourne 2022] Pho Hung Vuong Saigon @ Footscray

Wanted to try at least one of the more authentic/traditional pho places in Melbourne and so, one day we came across one at Hopkins Street. The shop seemed popular with lots of people still eating even at 3pm!

The store manager was very business-like and she'll inform every walk-in customers (especially non-regulars) that we are free to take a seat at any available table.

menu

So we chose a spot that could fit the 4 of us and it was pretty near the washroom/kitchen area.

self-service

The system here is pretty clear-cut, choose the serving size and then which type of pho. The prices AUD15 (small), AUD16 (medium) and AUD18 (Large). With such a small price difference, maybe it made more sense to order a large to share amongst two pax but we just went ahead and ordered a small bowl each. =P

There is a flask placed at each table, so feel free to pour yourself a cup of hot tea while awaiting for the order to arrive. Small perks like this does brighten up our day especially when the weather was chilly.

hot tea

I was being greedy and chose the beef and chicken combination with offal. Although I was very hungry at such a late timing for lunch, the small bowl of pho turned out to be rather filling and satisfying! 

Beef and Chicken Combination (with offal) - AUD15 (small)

The soup here was flavourful with the necessary depth. Tasted like it had been boiled adequately and with the right ingredients. Loved the raw herbs and sprouts that came with it.

fresh vegetables for the pho

small piece of tendon (perhaps?)

plenty of poached chicken strips

There was plenty of ingredients inside the bowl and was happy with my choice. To change-up the taste, one could always make use of the chili oil condiment for that spicy kick.

this chili oil was good

We also ordered a rice dish to share. Just to have a taste on their grilled meats. Oh, and it didn't disappoint! The grilled pork chop was nicely firm and tender. Sweet savoury meaty bites. However, the shredded pork didn't seem to have much flavour. I loved the pickled carrots on that plate, so good! Plus, the sunny side up still had runny yolk, which was great as it added an eggy creaminess to the plate. The sliced cucumbers had a refreshing taste to reset the palate.

Grilled Pork Chop, Fried Egg and Shredded Pork Rice @AUD16

Sliced Beef and Beef Balls with additional order of blood curd

It was a good meal at this place and with reasonable prices. Payment at the counter, after your meal.

The staff are mainly perfunctory and efficient, so one need to take care and to move out of their way as they go about doing their daily chores.

Pho Hung Vuong Saigon

Address: 128 Hopkins St, Footscray VIC 3011, Australia

Contact: +61 3 9689 6002

Business Hours:

Closed on Wednesdays.

Thu - Tue: 9AM–8:30PM